Richard Blackwood will be delighting viewers by making his Dancing on Ice debut on Sunday night, almost a year since his departure from EastEnders. The actor, who played hardman Vincent Hubbard, confirmed his exit from the BBC soap back in 2018, and has since admitted that the choice wasn't entirely down to him. "There was no bad vibe between me and EastEnders about leaving," he explained to So Solid Crew's Harvey on his YouTube channel. "It just so happened that I came to the end of my contract and they weren't going to renew it."
© Photo: BBCRichard Blackwood joined the soap as Vincent Hubbard in 2015
But the 45-year-old confessed that he has just accepted the move as part of the industry. "I said if I get more than one year, I reckon I'm going to do three years," he shared. "EastEnders is its own movie, I'm a character within it. My character within that movie had to leave." When it came to Vincent's storylines, the former rapper replied: "This is no disrespect to EastEnders, but the storyline, where it started to go, I wasn't feeling it… People will see where my character goes towards the end, I wasn't feeling it. It was like, 'No, it's time'."
MORE: EastEnders star Richard Blackwood to leave Vincent Hubbard role
EastEnders bosses previously announced they had come to a "mutual decision" over Richard's exit this spring. The statement read: "We can confirm that Richard will be leaving EastEnders this spring. Richard has been a great addition to the show and we wish him all the best for the future." Sharing the news himself, Richard confirmed: "I have loved every minute of my time at EastEnders, and although I will be sad to say goodbye, after three years it feels the right time to leave." Richard's character Vincent first appeared in the soap in 2015, when he was introduced as Kim Fox's husband. His fate was left ambiguous after thinking about entering witness protection to testify against Aidan, unaware that the police officer he has been speaking to is corrupt. His storyline ends after the officer drives him away and points a gun at him, leaving his fate unknown.
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